ESE!McGonagall (not what you think)

[va32h]

No: HPFGUIDX 164414

blitz writes:
I agree - the emotionalism is not always a good trait in matters of
dire straits. It makes her much more human to the reader, but
Dumbledore may see it as a disadvantage. 
 
And as I noted before, she isn't very good at politics. I don't think
she could officiate an order meeting with someone she didn't
particularly like - if she had to deal with ol' Dung and they butted
heads, I can see a situation a bit similar to that of Severus and
Sirius in OotP. 
 
If she was entrusted to very important information, like the existence
of Horcruxes, I think that she would act on it somewhat rashly,
including wanting to help DD/Harry find them. Dumbledore has said it
before: "You are needed at Hogwarts!" And she is - as a liason between
HQ and Hogwarts, as a very respected member of the WW, and as someone
Harry inherently trusts. Keeping her out of the loop is just the only
way to keep her happy and at home.

va32h here:

I see McGonnagal entirely differently! She is very by-the-book and 
official, yes with that little bit of emotion peeking through, but 
ust peeking. McGonnagal is a grown up Hermione, if Hermione had never 
befriended Ron and Harry. 

I think if she were told about the horcruxes, far from acting rashly, 
she would declare that Harry was far too young to hear about them, 
much less try to find them. If asked to help find them, she would 
make lists and map out possible locations, approach the whole thing 
in a rational and orderly fashion. 

These are not bad qualities in themselves, but confronting the ever-
changing face of evil requires a little more spontanaiety than 
Minerva is likely to have. Why does Percy know that the first years 
will start out changing matches to needles? Because McGonnagal's 
lesson plans haven't changed in years. Why does she hesitate to have 
Dumbledore buried at the school? Because it hasn't been done before. 
Why is she a registered Animagus? Because that's the rule, how dare 
you even suggest otherwise, you impertinent reader!
 
Harry is in a think-outside-the-box situation, and McGonnagal is all 
about the box. That's why I think Dumbledore doesn't confide in her. 
She'd just be reminding him of why his various plans can't possibly 
work (and when they do anyway, she'd just say "oh well, only because 
of x, y, z. But it shouldn't have worked and you know it was a 
terrible risk Albus!" )
 

Carol wrote:
But she's a cat Animagus, too. Why haven't we heard more about that?


va32h here:

I think we might. That bit with Bellatrix killing the fox has a sense 
of foreboding about it. 


On the ESE McGonnagal theory - I have skimmed it, but it doesn't 
strike me as a very likely or satisfying one, quite honestly. 

va32h/Barbara